1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a motor utilizing electromagnetics by which it converts magnetic force into mechanical force
2. Description of the Background
Toroidal motors are known brushless torque motors in which coils are wound about a toroidal annular iron core to form a stator portion. In 1909 the Beck Toroidal Engine was introduced at the Paris Air Show. This engine was a four piston, gas powered motor in which two arms activated a series of linkages and finally turned a crankshaft. Unfortunately, due to a mathematical mis-conversion the engine was never scaled to the correct size to power an aircraft. An electromagnetic example appears in U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,462 to Yoshino et al. issued Dec. 29, 1992, which shows a toroidal coil motor with an annular iron core.
The concept of a reciprocating armature rather than a rotor-armature is also well-known, and the prior art has used permanent magnets, electromagnets, or both in a toroidal motor to reciprocate an armature.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,295 by Stanley A. Cory issued 23 Jul. 1968 shows an electromagnetic oscillating motor with electromagnets in the stator and permanent magnets in the armature. The '295 patent notes the efficiency advantage allot having to pass current to the armature via brushes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,116,018 to Strobl (Johnson Electric) issued Oct. 3, 2006 shows an oscillating motor similar to Cory's with a rotor rotation of about 15 degrees.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,717 to Hensing et al. issued Dec. 2, 1986 shows an oscillating magnetic motor with two mallet-shaped armatures mounted on the motor shaft and pivotable independently of each other. The stator is electromagnetic whilst the armature uses permanent magnets. When the stator coils are energized with an alternating current it creates an oscillatory movement of the two mallet-shaped armatures about the motor shaft. There is no linkage inasmuch as the two armatures are intended for driving two pistons of a dual-piston compressor, or two blades of a shearing or cutting device.
The foregoing references use both permanent and electromagnets to oscillate an armature. The Hensing '717 reference in particular uses similar mallet-shaped rocker arms with permanent magnet heads driven to oscillate by electromagnets in the stator. The polarity of the electromagnets is switched causing the rocker aims to oscillate back-and-forth.
None of the foregoing patents employ any linkage. Linkages themselves are fairly well established, as shown by U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,653 to Robert Tracy issued Nov. 21, 1972. Tracy '653 shows an electromagnetic motor that uses solenoids to impose/remove aluminum shields between pairs of permanent magnets. The Tracy '653 patent describes a Star linkage to connect four pistons to a common camshaft. A similar Star linkage was typically used by Star or radial-type internal combustion engines employed by old airplanes with a radial array of pistons about the propeller.
None of the foregoing references use electromagnets on the armatures in combination with a linkage. In contrast, the prior art teaches away from an electromagnetic armature due to the difficulty and inefficiency of commutating it with brushes. In fact, no one has realized the potential efficiency gained by a toroidal motor that uses multiple reciprocating rocker arms mounted for rotation about a common axis, each rocker arm being equipped with a combination of electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets, and in which the rocker arms are caused to reciprocate by switching the polarity of the electromagnets. The present inventors have effectively eliminate the stator by using a combination of permanent magnets and opposed armatures, linking two armatures to a common shaft using a simple three-bar linkage. Several embodiments are disclosed in which the reciprocations from the multiple rocker arms are conveyed to a single camshaft by a mechanical linkage that optimizes its leverage in accordance with switching of the electromagnetic coils. The result is a highly-efficient brushless motor that is quiet and economical.